1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of playing and training equipment. More specifically the present invention relates to a golf apparatus for training a golfer to swing his or her club along a proper arc. The apparatus preferably includes an elongate, malleable guide member having a guide member edge, the guide member being hand-bendable by a user so that the guide member edge follows an arc having a certain desired curvature substantially matching the arc of a desired swing of a golf clubhead. The guide member substantially retains the shape into which it is bent until reshaped by the user. The guide member is constructed of malleable aluminum wire covered by a circumferential layer of light, flexible foam. The malleable guide member is secured to the ground using an anchoring member. The guide member extends upwardly from the ground such that a golfer is able to swing a golf clubhead along the arc of the guide member at full speed, using the guide member as a guiding boundary for a desired swing path. Clubhead contact with the guide member causes the guide member to yield to the force of a swinging clubhead so that the clubhead and guide member are not damaged.
A method is provided of performing a practice swing of a golf club using the above described apparatus including the steps of: 1) bending the guide member such that the guide member edge forms an arc substantially matching a desired golf clubhead swing path; 2) securing the guide member relative to the ground in such an orientation relative to the ground as to define a desired swing path relative to the ground; 4) swinging the club along the guide member edge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been training aids for learning to play the game of golf A few have been directed to improving the swing of the player, so that the player swings along a path considered by professionals to be the most effective in propelling the ball over a desired distance and with accuracy. Some provide guide structures along which the golfer swings his or her club. These guide structures are generally of fixed curvature, or at least the curvature defining the swing path cannot be altered conveniently by user hand manipulation, and the apparatus tends to be costly.
Examples of such prior devices are Battersby, U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,510, issued on Sep. 26, 1989, for a golf instruction apparatus and method employing a flexible elongate guide member fixed between end support structures; Beckish, U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,251, issued on Jan. 31, 1978, for a golf swing training device having a pair of adjustable guide rails for controlling the swing path and swing plane of the golf club swung between, the guide rails being held in a given configuration by telescoping rods; Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 1,634,102, issued on Jun. 28, 1927, for a mechanical golf instructor and exerciser apparatus including a pair of substantially circular tracks, a golf stick slidable on the tracks, the tracks being provided at their upper sides with means for reversing the movement of the guide, and a subsequent, very similar structure disclosed in Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 1,670,409, issued on May 22, 1928; Bellagamba, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,881 issued on Aug. 1, 1989, for a golf training apparatus having a frame with a base and a first golf club swing guide attached to the frame for guiding a players swing of a golf club; VanKirk, U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,974, issued on May 29, 1990, for a golf swing trainer, including several flexible cantilever supported feelers which are mounted on a ring on a column support so that the free end of the feeler elements are located in a predetermined position to the golfer whereby departure of the golf club path of movement from the proper path causes the golf club shaft to engage a feeler free end and indicate to the golfer the correction is required; Coggins, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,432, issued on Apr. 24, 1990, for a golf swing guide with back—swing indicator including a circular guide which engages the shaft of the golf club to guide the club through a golf swing.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a golf instruction apparatus and method which includes a guide member which defines a guide line corresponding to a desired or proper swing path along which a player can practice swinging his or her golf club.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a golf instruction apparatus and method which permits and involves the step of hand bending the apparatus guide member to adjust the curvature of the guide line the guide member defines for adapting the apparatus to train specifically for different swings in different situations and for different players, and which yields to prevent damage to the apparatus or to the club upon club impact with the guide member.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a golf instruction apparatus and method which provides golf clubhead position indicating markers along the guide member indicating by their orientation the desired or proper orientation of the golf clubhead at each corresponding point along the path of club swing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a golf instruction apparatus and method which utilizes an anchoring member to quickly and removably connect an end of the guide member to the ground.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a golf instruction apparatus which is inexpensive to manufacture, which can be hand folded into a compact carrying configuration, which is light weight and easy to use.